


Daredevil

by BananasofThorns



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Rewrite, Frank meets DexDevil, Gen, Rewrite of episode 10, This is how ep10 should have gone and you can quote me on that, Various implied relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-06-05
Packaged: 2020-03-26 15:43:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19008841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BananasofThorns/pseuds/BananasofThorns
Summary: It’s the most bullshit thing Frank’s ever heard, but something about it rubs him the wrong way. Assuming everything they’re saying is true, Daredevil stormed the office of Karen Page, one of his closest friends.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ImHereForTheFluff](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImHereForTheFluff/gifts).



Frank is sitting in some shitty diner when he first hears the news. 

Daredevil has attacked the Bulletin and killed many of the reporters. 

One of the patrons is gossiping about it loudly with the waitress. Neither of them are bothering to keep their voices down or hide their terror.

It’s the most bullshit thing Frank’s ever heard, but something about it rubs him the wrong way. Assuming everything they’re saying is true, Daredevil stormed the office of Karen Page, one of his closest friends. It's not like anyone knows who Daredevil's friends are, though. 

But the point is: he broke his strongest moral and killed. He killed innocents. 

(There were times when Frank thought Red might snap. But no matter how broken he is, he’d never kill those who didn’t deserve it.)

Frank smells bullshit. 

He pays the bill and leaves, despite having only been there for fifteen or so minutes. He chugs his coffee on the way out and hands the empty mug to the waitress. She looks at him like she can’t place where she’s seen his face before. He’s long gone before she has a chance to remember. 

 

It isn’t as hard as he thought it would be to track down Daredevil. He finds him in a church, looking for Karen Page. She sees Frank first, and it’s her surprised gasp that alerts Daredevil and the rest of the congregation to his presence. 

(If it was actually Red, he would have known Frank was there long before he walked through the doors.)

It’s been a while since he painted New York red with blood, but not long enough. Frank can see their eyes shine with renewed terror when they realize the Punisher has joined the fun. 

“Who the hell are you?” Frank asks. He watches over Daredevil's shoulder as Karen and the priest herd the terrified congregation away. 

“I’m Daredevil,” Daredevil says, a note of humor in his voice. Frank scoffs. 

“Bullshit.” The smile falls from Daredevil’s face. “You’re not Red. You wanna know how I know?” Daredevil tilts his head.

(It’s almost like one of Red’s mannerisms. Similar, but not close enough. This movement has a stilted, practiced air to it.)

“I spent hours arguing with Red. He thinks he’s a goddamn saint or something, you know that? Always preaching about how I shouldn’t kill, even for those who deserve it,” Frank growls.

“Maybe I’ve had a change of heart.” The amusement is still in Daredevil’s tone, but there’s no trace of a smile on his face.

Frank scoffs. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard all day, and I’ve heard some pretty stupid shit. You’re not Daredevil. You’re just some asshole in a costume pretending to be someone you aren’t. The only reason there isn’t a bullet in your head right now is because you look like Red. Appearances are about the only thing you have in common with him right now.”

Daredevil’s lips twist into a snarl. Before Frank can react, his billy club is flying through the air, straight towards his chest. He blinks and suddenly a masked man in all black is in front of them, holding the club in his fist. 

(No one without superhuman reflexes could have caught that. There’s only one person he knows who can move that fast.)

Frank grins. 

“Hey, Red.”

Matt twirls his billy club between his fingers and smiles. Distantly, sirens wail. 

(The Devil has returned to Hell’s Kitchen.)


	2. Chapter 2

Matt hears Frank coming from a mile away.

He’s waiting in the church’s corridors when his ears first pick up on Frank’s steady heartbeat, fading in and out as closer traffic clamors for attention. It gets louder as he approaches, though, until it’s nearly pounding in Matt’s ears; it’s a stark contrast from the panicked heartbeats of the congregation.

Dex is approaching the terrified group slowly, his billy club smacking hollow thuds on the pews with each step he takes. Karen notices Frank first and it’s her gasp that alerts everyone else to his presence. Matt can mark the exact second they realize that the Punisher is back.

(Their heartbeats rise even more in panic. Dex’s stays the same, but Matt thinks that maybe he should be the one afraid.)

Matt can detect at least two guns and a knife on Frank’s person, but he hasn’t drawn any of them. He wants to yell at him to do so because Dex is not a force to be reckoned with, but he’s not sure Frank can fire a killing shot before Dex can throw his club.

“Who the hell are you?” Frank asks. Matt can hear Karen and Father Lantom leading the congregation away and he’s suddenly incredibly grateful that Frank has arrived.

“I’m Daredevil,” Dex says. Matt can picture the smirk on his face and he wants to punch it off. His hands curl into fists at his sides.

Frank scoffs. “Bullshit,” he says. Matt can hear every muscle in Dex’s body tense with annoyance. “You’re not Red.”

Matt wants to laugh because  _ of course _ Frank knows immediately that Dex is an imposter. They’ve spent enough time yelling morals at each other that Frank knows that Matt doesn’t kill. Really, Dex was making it obvious he wasn’t the real Daredevil. Matt supposes that Fisk didn’t account for vigilantes with blood on their hands and skulls on their chests.

Dex’s fingers are tapping an annoyed pattern on his billy club as Frank talks. His arm is poised like he’s getting ready to throw.

(It reminds him of the Bulletin. The smell of death and blood comes rushing back, and Matt almost retches. He doesn’t, though, because if he breaks concentration for even a second Frank could die.)

“You’re just some asshole in a costume,” Frank says, and Matt springs into action. Dex won’t take kindly to insults, no matter how true they are. He might not always like Frank, but he doesn’t want him to get impaled with a well-thrown club.

Dex is too distracted with Frank to notice Matt rushing through the pews towards them.

“Appearances are about the only thing you have in common with him right now,” Frank is saying.

Dex’s arm moves back and the billy club is flying through the air. Matt holds out a hand and it smacks into his palm - it’s almost like deja vu, but instead of Foggy behind him, it’s Frank. Frank, who never for one second believed Fisk’s lie or Dex’s act. Frank, who knows exactly who he is even though he’s wearing black and not Devil red.

Matt twirls his billy club (because it’s his, he’s taken it back) in his fingers. He can hear sirens wailing in the distance. Dex’s heart rate is finally rising because he knows he’s trapped. Matt bares his teeth in a grin.

(The Devil has returned for his throne.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna be honest, the endings of these two chapters are maybe some of my favorite things that I've written. Especially the ending of this chapter.
> 
> I just really like Devil symbolism when writing about Matt Murdock


End file.
